Cigarette making machine



prifi 30, 1935. W. c. MILES CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINE Filed May 22, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet NVENTOR Q i V4 1 4 r 'J'1: ATTORNEYS April 3% 1935. w. c. MlLEs CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINE Filed May 22, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 30, 1935 rarest orrice 1,999,224 CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINE William C. Miles, White Plains, N. Y., assignor to Self Extinguishing Cigarette Corporation, New

York, N. Y.,

a corporation of New York 7 Application May 22, 1934, Serial No. 726,885

10 Claims.

This invention relates generally to cigarettemaking machines, and has particular reference to machines for use in the manufacture of cigarettes of the self-extinguishing type, wherein 5 the wrapper, according to the invention to which the patent application of Maurice X. C. Weinberger, Serial No. 664,888, filed April 7th, 1933, is directed, is provided immediately prior to the tobacco-filling and cigarette-rolling operation with 1o a transverse film-like coating of suitable agglutinant, to which certain particles of the tobacco adhere during the filling operation so as to provide in the finished cigarette an annular, combustion-retarding band of tobacco particles, 15 in union with the inner face of the cigarette wrapper intermediate the ends thereof.

Important objects of the present invention are to provide a machine, for use in making cigarettes of the above general character, which is simple in construction, efficient in use, and which is so constructed that possible damage to either the machine in its entirety or any part or parts thereof is positively averted should the traveling weblike wrapper paper break under operating con- 45 ClltlQllS.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a fragmental view in elevation of a cigarette machine embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detailed'vie'w, partly in section and partly in elevation, showing a pair of pick-up 5M5 rollers in association with a contact roller which is partially encircled by a slotted shield or guard plate; Fig. 4 is a view in elevation of the guard plate as seen from the right in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a plan view of that part of the machine appearing in Fig. 3, and Fig. 6 is a fragmental face view of a section of web-like wrapper paper and illustrating more or less diagrammatically the manner in which the pick-up rollers jointly act on the wrapper paper to produce at definite intervals a transverse film-like coating of agglutinant.

Inasmuch as the present machine is adapted for use in connection with standard types of cigarette-making machines, wherein the tobacco filler is fed from a hopper on to a traveling web-like wrapper paper, which is thereafter folded around the filler and then sealed at its meeting margins, it is deemed unnecessary for a complete understanding of the present invention, to refer to any details of such standard machine other than the machine frame l9, tobacco hopper H, main drive gear 52, printing drum M, idler roller !5 over which the web-like wrapper paper It passes onto the printing drum from a suitable source, not shown, and idler roller 17 about which passes the web-like wrapper paper as it leaves the printing ".5 drum.

Carried by the machine frame I0 is an outwardly extending bearing boss It, by which is supported a stub shaft 29, on which is journalled an intermediate gear 2|, meshing'with the driving .[0 gear 22 and with a driven gear22, the latter of which is secured to a horizontally disposed shaft supported by and journalled in a bearing boss 25 which is similar to the boss is and is alsocarried by the frame it]. The shaft 24 is provided at its forward end with a driving head 26, carrying a rib L? which is accommodated by a ribreceiving groove 23, formed in the driven head 36 of a feed roller shaft 3!. Y

The feed roller shaft 3! is journalled at opposite ends in the side walls 32 of a reservoir'34, adapted for the reception of a quantity of suitable agglutinant, hereinafter more particularly mentioned, the shaft 3! being provided with a feed roller 35, a substantial peripheral portion of 25- which is adapted to contact at all times with the contents of the reservoir. In order to limit to a reasonable thickness the film of agglutinant carried from the reservoir M on the peripheral surface cf the feed roller 35, there is provided-at the exit throat of the reservoir a transverse scraper 35. This scraper is secured to the sidewalls 32 of the reservoir and is so supported that its scraping edge, which extends throughout the width of the feed roller, is spaced a slight distance from the peripheral surface of that roller. In order that the end faces of the feed roller 35 may be kept substantially free of agglutinant above the level of the contents of the reservoir, there is provided a pair of scrapers 3?, which are secured to opposite ends of the scraper 36 and extend rearwardly and downwardly therefrom as shown in Fig. 1.

For the purpose of facilitating the removal of the reservoir 34 and its associated feed roller 35 as a unit, the bottom of the reservoir is provided with depending apertured lugs 38 and 39, adapted for the reception of a pair of horizontally disposed supporting rods 46 and M which are secured toand project outwardly from the machine frame Ii], the lug 39 being provided with a thumb screw 42 which is adapted to be run down into engagement with the supporting rod 4! and thereby effectively hold the reservoir against displacement under operating conditions. r

It will be understood, because of the connection afforded between the shafts 24 and 3! and hereinbefore described as including driving and driven heads 26 and 30 respectively, that the reservoir 34 and its associated feed roller 35 may be readily removed from or placed in its operative position without disturbing the shaft 2 by which the feed roller 35 is rotated.

Meshing with the gear 22, is a similar gear 44, which is secured'to a shaft 45, journalled in a bearing sleeve 46, carried by an adjustable bearing block 41 which is movably held on the machine frame iil by a pair of gibs t8. Splined to the outer end of the shaft iii, is the hub portion 5!] of a transfer roller 5!, which is held by a compression spring 52 in engagement with a shoulder 54, provided on the shaft 15 adjacent the adjustable bearing block 41, the spring being confined intermediate the end wall 55 of the transfer roller and a readily removable spring-retaining head 56 carried by the outer end of the shaft 45. 'From the foregoing, it will be understood that, when occasion' requires, the transfer roller 5| may be quickly removed from the shaft 45 without disturbing that shaft in any particular.

Meshing with the gear M, are a pair of similar gears 51, secured to a pair of shafts 58, journalled in bearing bosses 6B, which are carried by the machine frame H] and are similar to the bearing bosses l8 and 25 hereinbefore described. These shafts 58 are provided at their outer ends with shoulders SI and are adapted to receive a pair of pick-up rollers 52 and G l, which are removably held on their respective shafts and in driving engagement with the shoulders S! by lag screws 65, provided, respectively, with a pair of longitudinal rows of dauber lugs 65 and 67. The dauber lugs 66 are equi-distantly spaced from each other longitudinally of the axis of the pickup roller 62, and the dauber lugs 61 are similarly spaced. It is to be noted that the lugs 66 are staggered with respect to the lugs 61, as when the pick-up rollers are secured in operative position on the shafts'58 as shown in Fig. 5, and that the lugs 66 are each of a width equal to the space afforded between the lugs 61 and that the lugs 6'! are each of a width equal to the space afforded between the lugs 66.

Disposed intermediate a pair of guides 68, carried by the machine frame ill, is a slidable bearing block 10, provided at its upper end with an outwardly'extending stub shaft ii, on which is journalled a rubber faced contact roller 12, the bearing block being retained intermediate the guides 68 for sliding adjustment by a pair of gibs 14. Secured tothe bearing block iii, is a guide rod 15 which projects through an abutment plate 16 secured to the guides 68, the abutment plate being provided with a fixed cam ll through which the outer end of the guide rod i5 projects. Mounted on an unthreaded portion of the guide rod 75, is a rotatable cam '58 carrying a thumb wheel 8B. Disposed intermediate the bearing block if! and the abutment plate "i8, is a compression spring 8!, which serves to maintain the contact roller 12 in a definite position of adjustment as determined by a nut 82 carried by the lower end of the guide rod 15, which nut may be held in any desired position of adjustment by a lock nut 83, also carried by the guide rod '55. From the foregoing, it will be understood that although the contact roller '52 is held in a definite position of adjustment by the spring 8! under operating conditions, the roller may be quick y moved downwardly out of that position when desired, as for example when threading the web-like wrapper paper i6 over the contact roller '52, which serves, during the operation of the machine, as a rotatable paper support, onto which the paper is guided by a roller 84, journalled on a stub shaft 85 carried by the frame member iii.

Disposed intermediate the pair of picl:up rollers 62-64 and the contact roller 72, is a shield or guard plate 85. This guard plate is curved on an arc struck from the center of rotation of the contact roller '12 and is spaced a slight distance from that roller throughout a relatively large extent of its arcuate surface, the space thus afforded being adapted to permit unobstructed passage of the weblike paper It between the contact roller and its associated guard 85. In order that the guard 86 may be removably supported with relation to the machine frame iil, it is provided with a pair of openings 8'! adapted to slidably re ceive a pair of supporting rods 88 and 89, which are secured to the machine frame and project horizontally therefrom. The guard 86 may be locked in its operative position by a thumb screw 9!) which is carried thereby and is adapted to be run down into engagement with the guide rod 38. The lower end of the guard 85 is formed with a rearwardly extending apron 9 I, which terminates above the idler roller I7, the apron being provided as a protective measure against the remote 3 possibility of the paper 16 piling up in the vicinity of the rollers i1 and 85, upon breaking, and finding its way into the immediate vicinity of the pickup rollers 62 and 64. In order to accommodate the dauber lugs 56 and 6'! as the pick-up rollers 62 and 64 are rotated, the guard plate 85 is pro vided with two sets of slots 92 and 54, the slots being of equal width and of course slightly greater than the width of the dauber lugs which they are adapted to accommodate.

, It will, of course, be understood that the pickup rollers 62 and 64 operate in synchronism, and that they are so positioned on the shafts 58 that the points at which one group of dauber lugs 61 engage the paper l6 on the contact roller 12 are in direct transverse alignment with the points at which the corresponding group of dauber lugs 66 previously engage the paper on the contact roller. It will be apparent, therefore, that if the dauber lugs 66 and 61 are supplied at their outer ends with an agglutinant and are operated in synchronism, they will jointly act on the wrapper paper to produce at definite intervals a transverse film-like coating 95, which as shown in Fig. 6,

is made up of transversely registering film-like spots 96 and 9'! of agglutinant applied to the paper by one or the other groups of dauber lugs 65 of the pick-up roller 62 and the corresponding group of dauber lugs E! of the pick-up roller 64.

In order to facilitate proper positioning of the pick-up rollers 82 and 64 on the shafts 58, the outer ends of the rollers are provided with correspondingly spaced. scale graduations 88, in a proper relation to which fixed index marks H30 may be provided on some suitable part of the machine such, for example, as the upwardly extending marginal flange it! of the guard plate 86. The graduations 98 in association with the fixed index marks I may be found especially useful when it is desired, after a given run of the machine, to advance or retard the position of the transverse film-like coating with respect to the cutting off point at which the cigarette rod is successively severed pursuant to the tobaccofilling and wrapper-rolling and sealing opera- .tions as carried out with standard types of cigarette-making machines. In making such adjustments it is merely necessary to properly position one of the pick-up rollers, note the index reading,.and thereafter correspondingly set the other pick-up roller. It will be also understood that the same principle of adjustment of the pick-up rollers holds true when it is desired to change the position of the transverse film-like coating 95 with relation to the position occ' pied by any printed matter tha may be impressed on the paper it by the printing drum it, hereinbefore referred to as a conventional unit or" a standard type of cigarette-making machine in association with which the present invention is illustrated.

Although the scraper 3%, as previously stated, is employed to control the thickness of the agglutinant on the feed roller 35, it is deemed expedient to provide, in association with the transfer roller iii, a scraper E62, by which the thickness of the film as received on that roller from the feed roller 'may be controlled to a nicety in order to insure he application of a proper quantity of agglutinant to the dauber lugs 55 and til each time they move into engagement with the periphery of the transfer roller and thereby insure delivery to the paper it of a proper quantity of agglutinant entering into the formation of the transverse coatings 95.

The scraper Hi2 above mentioned is slidably supported on a bridge-like member we, connected at its opposite ends to the upper ends of a pair of standards 5&5, carried by the side walls 32 of the reservoir 3 and is provided at its upper end with a yoke, the arms 5% of which are disposed within a groove ifi'l, provided in a thumb nut i 83, carried by a screw-threaded trunnion l iii secured to the bridge-like member EM. From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that by rotating the thumb nut #28, in one direction or the other, the cutting edge of the scraper m2 may be positioned to a nicety with reference to the peripheral surface of the transfer roller El, with the result that thickness of the film of agglutinant thereon may be accurately controlled, such excess material as is prevented from passing the scraper it? and as may accumulate in the vicinity of the point of contact of the feed roller 35 with the transfer roller being returned to the reservoir on the surface of the feed-roller, as will be readily understood when it is taken into account that the feed roller rotates in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1.

In order that the transfer roller 55 may be accurately adjusted to obtain a proper position of it with relation to the dauber lugs 66 and 6?, the adjustable bearing block 47, by which the transfer roller shaft 55 is supported, is connected to adjusting screw l l l, to the upper end of which is connected a thumb wheel i I2, the hub portion of which is rotatably connected to a bridge member lid secured to the upper ends of the gibs 58, by which the bearing block dl is movably held on the machine frame it. From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that by rotating the thumb wheel H2, in one direction or the other, the transfer roller 5i may be accurately adjusted with relation to the dauber lugs 66 and 6?, it being understood in this connection that the extent of movement required under any circumstances is exceedingly small and because of that fact the gears i4 and 5? may be properly designed to permit the maximum adjustment required without aiiecting their accuracy of mesh or efliciency in operation.

Assuming that the machine is conditioned for with the result that use as shown in the drawings, its operation is as follows: As the wrapper paper l5 passes from the printing drum hi over the idler roller l7, guide roller 85, contact roller '52 and thence along its path of travel beneath the tobacco hopper ll of the standard cigarette-making machine, agglutinant is delivered from the feed roller 35 to the transfer roller iii, from which quantities are picked up by the dauber lugs 56 and 61 of the pick-up rollers 62 and M. From the dauber lugs agglutinant is transferred to the paper as the lugs enter and pass through the slots 92 in the guard plate thus delivering agglutinant to the paper in the form of film-like spots 96. At the instant these film-like spots 56 arrive at the slots 9d, the dauber lugs 6'! corresponding thereto enter the slots 9 and deliver agglutinant to the paper in the form of film-like spots $1, transversely registering with the spots es, the spots 96 and 9'5 collectively forming the transverse filrn- L like coating extending from one marginal area of the paper to the o her marginal area thereof as shown in Fig. 6. The transverse film-like coatings of agglutinant,with which the wrapper paper iii is thus provided, are carried on the tobacco-receiving face of the wrapper paper, with the result, that, as the tobacco-filling operation is carried out beneath the hopper I i, certain particles of tobacco will adhere to the coatings so as to provide an annular, combustion-retarding band of tobacco particles, in u -ion with the inner face of the wrapper of each cigarette severed, according to the well-known practice, from the rod-like cigarette structure asit emerges from the discharge end, not shown, of the machine. It will be understood that the successive transverse filmlike coatings 95 are spaced from each other along the length of the paper it a distance equal to the overall length of the individual cigarettes, which are severed, by the cut-off mechanism not shown, from the rod-like cigarette structure at definite intervals and at definite distances from. each annular, combustion-retarding band produced according to the present invention.

Should the otherwise break, as often happens at a point somewhere along its line of travel beneath the hopper l i and in front of the usual paper tensioning or translating means employed in standard types of cigarette-making machines, the rec end of the paper beyond the contact roller 12 is relieved of tension. Under such conditions, the adhesion afforded between the paper and the outer ends of the dauber lugs would be sufiicient, due to the presence of agglutinant on such lugs, to cause them to pick up the paper and wind it about one or the other of the pick-up rollers with detrimental results; but the possibility of such fouling is eliminated by the presence of the guard plate 8 5, which serves a stripper for the paper, it is peeled, so to speak, from the ends of the dauber lugs efi'ectively as though it were intact and properly tensioned along its line of travel beyond the contact roller 12. So effectively does the guard plate 86 perform its function, upon the occurrence of a break in the paper, that the freely rotating contact roller 52, serves, in the majority of instances, to move the paper on past itself at a sufficient rate of speed to compensate for the supply delivered from the printing drum i i to a point beyond the idler roller ll, thus eliminating, to a large extent, the necessity for the apron 9! which, as heretofore explained, is provided in association with the'guard plate 86 as a precautionary measure.

wrapper paper it accidentally or can Although only one form of the invention is herein shown and described, it will be understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cigarette-making machine of the type wherein a tobacco-filling operation is carried out with respect to a moving web-like wrapper to be folded around the filler and sealed at its meeting margins, a device for treating the wrapper prior to the tobacco-filling operation and comprising a reservoir adapted for the reception of a quantity of agglutinant, and means for transferring agglutinant from the reservoir and for applying a portion of it to said wrapper in the form of film-like spots spaced from each other transversely of the wrapper and for applying another portion of it to the wrapper in the form of fii1nlike spots spaced from each other transversely of the wrapper and in such alignment with the firstmentioned spots as to jointly form therewith a film-like coating extending transversely of the wrapper.

2. In a cigarette-making machine of the type wherein a tobacco-filling operation is carried out with respect to a moving web-like wrapper to be folded around the filler and sealed at its meeting margins, a' device for treating the wrapper prior to the tobacco-filling operation and comprising a reservoir adapted for the reception of a quantity of agglutinant, and means for transferring agglutinant from the reservoir and for applying portions of it to said wrapper at intervals along the length of the wrapper in the form of groups of film-like spots spaced from each other transversely of the wrapper and for applying other portions of it to the wrapper in the form of groups of film-like spots spaced from each other transversely of the wrapper and respectively in such alignment with the first-mentioned spots as to jointly form therewith film-like coatings extending transversely of the wrapper and separated from each other along the length thereof.

3. In a cigarette-making machine of the type wherein a tobacco-filling operation is carried out with respect to a moving web-like wrapper to be folded around the filler and sealed at its meeting margins, a device for treating the wrapper prior to the tobacco-filling operation and comprising a reservoir adapted for the reception of a quantity of agglutinant, a pair of pick-up rollers respectively equipped with a group of dauber lugs spaced from each other longitudinally of the rollers and adapted to receive agglutinant from said reservoir, the dauber lugs of one roller being staggered with relation to the dauber lugs of the other roller, and means for rotating said pick-up rollers in synchronism and in such timed relation to the moving web-like wrapper that said dauber lugs engage the wrapper at points aligned transversely of the wrapper and apply thereto film-like spots of agglutinant jointly forming a film-like coating extending transversely of the wrapper.

4.In a cigarette-making machine of the type wherein a tobacco-filling operation is carried out with respect to a moving web-like wrapper to be folded around the filler and sealed at its meeting margins, a device for treatingthe wrapper prior to the tobacco-filling operation and comprising a reservoir adapted for the reception of a quantity of agglutinant, a pair of pick-up rollers respectively equipped with a group of dauber lugs spaced from each other longitudinally of the rollers and adapted to receive agglutinant from said reservoir, the dauber lugs of one roller being staggered with relation to the dauber lugs of the other roller, and means for rotating said pick-up rollers in synchronism and in such timed relation to the moving web-like wrapper that said groups of dauber lugs engage the wrapper at substantially the same intervals along the length thereof and there apply to the wrapper transversely aligned film-like spots of agglutinant jointly forming at each of such intervals a film-like coating transversely of the wrapper.

5. In a cigarette-making machine of the type wherein a tobacco-filling operation is carried out with respect to a moving web-like wrapper to be folded around the filler and sealed at its meeting margins, a device for treating the wrapper prior to the tobacco-filling operation and comprising a reservoir adapted for the reception of a quantity of agglutinant, movable supporting means for said wrapper, a pair of pick-up rollers respectively equipped with a group of dauber lugs spaced from each other longitudinally thereof and adapted to receive agglutinant from said reservoir, the dauber lugs of one roller being staggered with relation to the dauber lugs of the other roller, means for rotating said pick-up rollers in synchronism and in such timed relation to the moving web-like wrapper that said dauber lugs engage the wrapper at points aligned transversely of the wrapper and apply thereto film-like spots of agglutinant jointly forming a film-like coating extending transversely of the wrapper, and a guard disposed intermediate said wrappersupporting means and said pick-up rollers, said guard having slots therein accommodating the passage of said dauber lugs into and out of engagement with said wrapper.

6. In a cigarette-making machine of the type wherein a tobacco-filling operation is carried out with respect to a moving web-like wrapper to be folded around the filler and sealed at its meeting margins, a device for treating the wrapper prior to the tobacco-filling operation and comprising a reservoir adapted for the reception of a quantity of agglutinant, movable supporting means for said wrapper, a pair of pick-up rollers respectively equipped with a group of dauber lugs spaced from eachother longitudinally thereof and adapted toreceive agglutinant from said reservoir, the dauber lugs of one roller being staggered with relation to the dauber lugs of the other roller, means for rotating said pick-up rollers in synchronism and in such timed relation to the moving web-like wrapper that said groups of dauber lugs engage the wrapper at substantially the same intervals along the length thereof and there apply to the wrapper transversely aligned film-like spots of agglutinant jointly forming at each of such intervals a film-like coating transversely of the Wrapper, and a guard disposed intermediate said wrapper-supporting means and said pick-up rollers, said guard having slots therein accommodating the passage of said dauber lugs into and out of engagement with said wrapper.

7. In a cigarette-making machine of the type wherein a tobacco filling operation is carried out with respect to a moving web-like wrapper to be folded around the filler and sealed at its meeting margins, a device for treating the wrapper prior to the tobacco-filling operation and comprising a reservoir adapted for the reception of a quantity of agglutinant, a pair of pick-up rollers respectively equipped with a group of dauber lugs spaced from each other longitudinally thereof and adapted to receive agglutinant from said reservoir, the dauber lugs of one roller being aligned with the spaces afforded between the dauber lugs of the other roller and the dauber lugs of said other roller being aligned with the spaces afforded between the dauber lugs of said one roller, and means for rotating said pick-up rollers in synchronism and in such timed relation to the moving web-like wrapper that the dauber lugs of the respective rollers engage the wrapper at points in alignment transversely of the wrapper and apply thereto film-like spots of agglutinant jointly forming a film-like coating extending transversely of the wrapper.

8. In a cigarette-making machine of the type wherein a tobacco-filling operation is carried out with respect to a moving web-like wrapper to be folded around the filler and sealed at its meeting margins, a device for treating the wrapper prior to the tobacco-filling operation and comprising a reservoir adapted for the reception of a quantity of agglutinant, rotatable supporting means for said wrapper, a pair of pick-up rollers respectively equipped with a group of dauber lugs spaced from each other longitudinally thereof and adapted to receive agglutinant from said'reservoir, the dauber lugs of one roller being aligned with the spaces afforded between the dauber lugs of the other roller and the dauber lugs of said other roller being aligned with the spaces afiorded between the dauber lugs of said one roller, means.

for rotating said pick-up rollers in synchronism and in such timed relation to the moving weblikewrapper that the dauber lugs of the respective rollers engage the Wrapper at points in alignment transversely of the wrapper and apply thereto film-like spots of agglutinant jointly forming a film-like coating extending transversely of the wrapper, and a guard disposed intermediate said wrapper supporting means and said pick-up rollers and having groups of slots therein, the slots of one group being alternately disposed with relation to the slots of the other group and adapted to accommodate passage of the dauber lugs of one roller into and out of engagement with said wrapper and the slots of the other group being alternately disposed with relation to the slots of said one group and adapted to accommodate the passage of the dauber lugs of the other pick-up roller into and out of engagement with said wrapper.

9. The method of applying agglutinant to a moving web-like wrapper in conditioning that wrapper for use in a cigarette-making machine of the type wherein such wrapper is folded around a tobacco filler and sealed at its meeting margins, comprising applying an agglutinant to the moving wrapper in the form of film-like spots spaced from each other transversely of the wrapper and thereafter applying agglutinant to the moving wrapper in the form of film-like spots spaced from each other transversely of the wrapper and in such alignment with the first-mew tioned spots as to jointly form therewith a filmlike coating extending transversely of the wrapper.

10. The method of applying agglutinant to a moving web-like wrapper in conditioning that wrapper for use in a cigarette-making machine of the type wherein such wrapper is folded around a tobacco filler and sealed at its meeting margins, comprising applying an agglutinant to the moving wrapper at intervals along the length of the wrapper in the form of groups of film-like spots spaced from each other transversely of the wrapper, and following each such application of agglutinant by a second application of agglutinant in the form of film-like spots spaced from each other transversely of the wrapper and in such alignment with the spots of the respective groups as to jointly form therewith film-like coatings extending transversely of the wrapper and separated from each other along the length thereof.

WILLIAM C. MILES. 

